COUNCIL MEMBERS REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION INTO POLICE CHIEF.Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer Five City Council members asked the Police Commission on Thursday to investigate Chief William Bratton after he blasted several councilmen on television for questioning the department's policy of hiring officers who had experimented with drugs when they were teenagers. Councilmen Bernard Parks, a former police chief, Dennis Zine, a former officer, and Greig Smith Greig Smith is a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 12th District, which includes Granada Hills, Northridge and other parts of the Western San Fernando Valley. Smith is also a reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department. , a reserve officer, have criticized the decision to hire six officers who admitted trying drugs in their youth. Parks wants to reinstate a zero-tolerance drug policy, against the wishes of Bratton and other top LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. officials. In a TV interview this month, Bratton called it a ``bogus issue.'' ``With all due respect to the two city councilmen who are raising this issue, they don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what the hell they're talking about,'' Bratton said during the interview. Calling the chief's comments ``unprofessional and unnecessary,'' Parks and Zine, along with council members Jose Huizar, Tony Cardenas Tony Cardenas served in the California State Assembly. In the Assembly, he had the powerful position of chair of the Budget Committee. He is now a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 6th district, which includes parts of the San Fernando Valley. and Jan Perry Jan Perry (circa. 1954 —) currently represents the 9th district of the Los Angeles City Council. External links
Preceded by Rita Walters Los Angeles City Councilwoman , sent a letter to the Police Commission asking for a personnel investigation. Bratton spokeswoman Mary Grady said Bratton and the council members would have to agree to disagree Agree to disagree or "agreeing to disagree" describes or refers to a situation where two or more people or groups of people resolve conflict by reaching an agreement whereby both sides tolerate but do not accept the views, opinions or position of the other side. on the issue of previous drug use by police recruits. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio (Tony) Ramon Villar, Jr. on January 23, 1953) is the mayor of Los Angeles, California. He is the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles since Cristobal Aguilar in 1872. said he spoke with Bratton about his comments during their weekly meeting. ``I will also be speaking with council members Parks and Zine,'' Villaraigosa said. ``My hope is that this matter can be resolved as quickly as possible so that we can move forward together taking on the public safety challenges we face as a city.'' In their letter to the Police Commission, the council members said Bratton's outburst might be a disturbing trend. ``Since his arrival, he has routinely made public comments that could be described as insensitive or just plain rude.'' Such ``improper public remarks,'' the council members said, could be the cause of a sharp increase in complaints over ``improper and discourteous remarks'' cited in the department's annual complaint report. Noting that disciplinary actions against officers have fallen, they asked whether Bratton's remarks were affecting his ability to discipline LAPD officers for similar behavior. kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 |
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